WILBUR & ORVILLE: A story of achieving flight and finding space.

Zach Peschl
Apr 6
3 min read

Updated: Apr 7

About two months ago, a friend told me about this Wilbur & Orville: The Workshop Upstairs show after being invited to a workshop performance. He described it as “a show a guy wrote about the Wright brothers. Then he built a theatre in his basement that you have to walk upstairs to get to.”

My interest was fully piqued. Planes. Theatre. Unexpected architecture… Sold!

On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright changed the world by proving powered flight possible. The brothers from Dayton worked for years above their bike shop to achieve it. But what happened in that shop? What made these two men from Ohio, with little formal education, into pioneers? Who were they, really?

On March 19, 2026, I met with Bob (the playwright, director, and sole actor in the show), and Donn Lashley, (a producer, and the owner of the building) and we talked about the show and how it came to be.

Sometime in the year 2000, Robert (Bob) Leddy, a screenwriter by trade, found a Time magazine in the seatback pocket on his flight home from the Sundance Film Festival. Inside was an article about the Wright brothers written by Bill Gates. That article sparked an ember.

The show isn’t so much a history lesson as it is a reframing. It tells a fuller story of two ingenious brothers working toward a shared goal. It’s about curiosity, perseverance, and the trials of pioneering something entirely new.

The show is presented in a pop-up space tucked behind the Federal Courthouse in downtown Wilmington. As you approach through the alley, it feels like discovering a speakeasy, making the experience all the better. The theatre is accessed through a small courtyard and a flight of stairs, though an elevator is available through the garage, with assistance from the crew and producers, who also serve as the front-of-house staff.

The performance space, while temporary, is beautiful. Hardwood floors, high ceilings, surprisingly good acoustics, with art hung throughout. Even the elevator is decorated, complete with a light show rising to the top of the shaft. The whole experience reinforces that speakeasy feel—like you’ve stumbled onto something special. The space has been home to corporate offices in the past, and will again later this year, but a gap in tenants has made this space possible.

The show runs a tight 77 minutes with no intermission. The stage is anchored by a single chair at center, with small tables at the wings. Throughout, the lighting (designed by Chris Dean), sound, and projections are precisely timed, with Dean running the board. Each projection features the documents and photographs referenced in the monologue, all sourced by Bob over more than 25 years of research.

The performance is natural and engaging. The script draws heavily from historical documents, with only small sections paraphrased or inferred from the Wright family’s extensive diaries. Bob’s knowledge and passion are clear as he flows through the piece, while voicing the various characters involved. At several points, his eyes welled up as he discussed the challenges, trials, and tribulations, at home and on the global stage, the brothers faced on the road to conquering human flight. After the show, as Chris Dean removed his mic, Bob said, “It happens every time, and it’s different every time. I don’t know what it is.”

When the lights came up, Bob stepped to the edge of the stage and opened the floor for questions. I attended on Easter Sunday, and while the crowd was small, a couple from Dayton Ohio suggested potential venues in the brothers hometown if the show travels. (Plans are already in motion to take the show on the road in Fall/Winter 2026.)

Even though the story is over a century old, the show is refreshing, and the space is a welcome change of scenery for Wilmington theatre regulars. This show may seem niche, given the subject, but it is a show any audience will enjoy.

Wilbur & Orville: The Workshop Upstairs runs Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 1:30 p.m., through May 31st at 20 Wrights Alley. Tickets are $45 and are available here.